Legacy: an Elfs tale
by Slea
Summary: My attempt to give history to Legolas


Legacy Authors note: This is my outtake of the Life of Legolas Greenleaf, I looked everywhere for information but could not find any, Only his paternal heritage and his life from the time of the ring. Even his age could not be confirmed. so in the love of the character the respect of the author. I wrote my own, I have no money and do not plan to make any money for this work. it is done for love alone, and that I am willing to share with all freely. At this time I have no Beta for my works. It has been said I am a poor friend to betas and for this I will always be regretful. But should someone what to beta for me in the future, please let me know, I will endeavor to change my ways. I apologize for the Faux Pa. NOW on with the story  
  
Legacy: An Elf's tale.  
  
By Slea  
  
The eight members of fellowship sat quietly around the campfire, dinner having been made and served, and the fire long extinguished. The were still strangers, except for the four hobbits, no one knew much about the other, so Gandalf, encouraged them to tell a little something about themselves each night as they walked the forest And that they did. They spent the first night since leaving Riverdale telling stories of one another. Everyone, that was but Legolas, who disappeared amongst the branches of the tallest tree, to stand watch over the fellowship.  
  
"He has again escaped the scrutiny of the fellowship under the guise of our well being''. Smirked Gimli.  
  
"Legolas's oath is not a guise, and this is not some romp in the woods." Gandalf reminded him. "  
  
"I guess, we are never to learn about the elf." Sam sighed as Legolas again took first watch and gracefully ascended into the towering spires of wood and leaves.  
  
"Mayhap, Aragorn can tell us something of his friend" Boromir grunted, "As it would seem he knows more of the elfin people than any man I have yet to meet."  
  
"I will tell you what I can." he agreed, "What would you like to know?"  
  
Suddenly he was bombarded with questions from the curious rabble that sat before him.  
  
"Why does he climb trees?  
  
"What is it that he sings when he goes up there?"  
  
" Is it me, or does he not shine brighter than any of the elves of Riverdale?  
  
"Except maybe, the really pretty one you were talking to before we left."  
  
" Does he ever talk?"  
  
" Has he ever missed a target?"  
  
"Whoa, whoa, Ok, let me think. Where do I start?" Aragorn looked to Gandalf for some kind of answers, but he older man only smiled at the human's predicament. "I guess I should start at the beginning. Legolas is wood elf."  
  
"Seems to me, all elves live in the woods." Merry queried. "What makes him so different."  
  
" In Truth the elves of Mirkwood have taken to living under forest." But it was not always so."  
  
"Legolas is the son of Thranduil, King of the land you know as Mirkwood, but once it was known as Greenwood the great. as for the rest of the story. this I can not swear by, because I base it only by the tales that I have heard while I lived amongst the elves.  
  
"Then tell your farce human, " Growled Gimli, " I am in great need of something that might aid me to sleep this night, as I am not used to trusting my hide to the likes of an Elf. Especially one who cannot make up his mind weather he chooses to perch in the trees or below them."  
  
"You may know that Legolas's father is a Sindar elf, His mother was Silvan. They say; she walked in light even though the darkness. It was said that only the stars could shine brighter than Legolas's mother while she carried the heir of the Greenwood within her womb. Her eyes shown the like the reflection of the fullest moon upon the bluest waters and her hair was spun from the sun itself. Gifted among her people, she was the spirit of the Greenwoods, both plant and animal knew her heart and they could tell her of theirs. It is said that flowers would bloom in her path as she walked by, and never did the animals hide in her presence. Some said that the Mirkwood's elves are skilled at hunting only because the animals would sacrifice themselves in hopes to be the nourishment of her grace.  
  
"You mean that the animals would come out and wait to be killed!" exclaimed Pippin.  
  
"I tell you only what I have heard, I know not any more than what I have been told." Aragorn smiled, knowing last the embellishment was only a wives tale disproved many times by Legolas's skill alone. "It is said that birds would light on her shoulder and all the good creatures of the woods would come out to dance amongst the trees whenever she walked amongst the branches."  
  
"It sounds like one of Bilbo's tales" Merry laughed. "Yes, it does!" Pippin agreed  
  
"Did Legolas tell you this," asked Sam, "Cause if it be from his mouth I would believe it to be true. I do not think elves know how to lie, even when the truth is harsh."  
  
"Nay" Aragorn replied. "Sadly, Legolas would never know his mother, or she him. For many years the woods of Eryn Lasgalen were green and lush but a great necromancer came to haunt the woods on the southern Borders. The woods became dark and dangerous."  
  
"One day it happened the trees began to tremble with news of darkness finding its way further though the borders of this realm. Thranduil was making plans to once again move his wife and unborn child, along with all his people to the farthest corner of his realm. Legolas's mother wept, she did not want to leave her home again and most certainly did not want to move from her forest. Before they were to leave, she, with two of her guards left the safety of the wall and entered the forest. It was two days before the guards were found. Their bodies lay within a cocoon of spun webbing hanging high from the tree.  
  
"What of her highness and her unborn child. Did they die too?" Pippin blurted out excitedly. Suddenly a hand wacked him at the back of the head.  
  
"Pip, you Took, of course they did not die, her unborn child is prince Legolas."  
  
"Oh, Oh," sorry he whispered. " I forgot."  
  
"Well. that is where the story gets a little muttled because the grief stricken king, never found his wife, but three days after the discovery of the guards the king began to hear the sound of a babes cry echo through the woods, it started just at the rising of the sun by mid day he thought he had gone mad with grief as did all the kingdom for he ran out of the fortress in to the woods demanding that the trees either give him back his love or take him as well. When he was found, he was sitting on a large root holding a baby in his arms."  
  
"Legolas?" Pippin asked. Afraid to make another mistake  
  
"Yes, Legolas." Aragorn laughed, "They said; that the king mumbled something about finding the newborn laying in a tunnel beneath the roots of the trees on a bed of soft green leaves with a blanket made of the same. He claimed that the trees told him that his son was safe and then the roots parted and a beautiful soft glow shown out of it. He followed the sight in hopes that he may find his wife but instead he only found the boy clean and sleeping quietly among the fresh leaves. "The trees," he continued, "told of how the king's wife was attacked by the spiders, and how, with their help she was able to get away, but not before this black creature stung her. They told how she hid beneath their roots and cried, for the poison had caused her to begin birth to early. She knew she would die before the birth, and the child too would die, if it were not dead already. It was said; she begged the trees to save her son, with her last breath she released the child from her womb and returned her spirit to the land, which she loved. The king said there was no sign of his wife but for the babe. The hunting party who found the king followed him below the great woods to the cavern of entwined roots and mud. All they found was a bed of leaves nothing else. No one knows how the leaves got underground nor did they ever find his mother. They say that the good creatures of the vale lay them. Legolas was healthy despite his premature birth. Lord Elrond told the king it was truly a miracle. To which the king reply,' Aye, this child will be a hand full for he must be as stubborn as the wind to survived here all alone.' Elrond said he laughed and then told him; " It is true what they say" he announced; "the Leaves do not fall far from the tree, especially the green ones. and that is how Legolas got his name, for it means green leaf in the old tongue"  
  
"Tis a miracle indeed" yawned Pippin "But, now at least, we know why he has such a fondness for the trees" Boromir agreed.  
  
"Still sound like one of Bilbo's tales," Frodo laughed.  
  
"All that I have told you was confirmed to me by Elrond who was with the troops who found the king, that day, That is a day, of much joy and heart ache for the elves of the Greenwood, That day they lost a queen but found a prince and a new home.  
  
"Humph, Farce indeed, Elves living underground, the idea is laughable." Gimli grumbled.  
  
"Is it any more far fetched than a Dwarf, and an elf as a companion for two humans a wizard and four hobbits." Gandalf questioned. "It is late. Aragorn, has second watch. Let us go to our rest. For tomorrow we will be leaving the protection of these woods."  
  
Everyone left Aragorn sitting alone at the circle. He listens as the others still continued to speak of the fantastic tale they just heard.  
  
"They are right Estel it is a bit much to believe, do you not think?"  
  
Aragorn smiled his head looked down on the blacken coals that had long before they died with the light of day.  
  
"Ah, so you can speak."  
  
"Aye, When I have something to say. As you well know."  
  
" I pray, my friend, you will always have words for me." Aragorn laughed. "As for the tale, I hope I did no injustice to you my friend."  
  
"Nay, You are truly a bard among humans. Even the trees hushed to hear your tale."  
  
"I only spoke of what I know. What was told to me by others, I wish you had be the one to tell it."  
  
"I have no memory of all that you said but what you have heard. These stories have grown more unbelievable these past three thousand years. Although your story is most like what I was told by father and Lord Elrond, there is no proof to support the rumors."  
  
Before he could go on a tiny hedgehog climbed out the darkness into the light that was being shed by the elf. To Aragorn, it seemed to stand, waiting for something. Legolas lowered his hand and the small creature crawled upon it. Then it rolled itself on to its back and allowed the elf to tickle it soft belly.  
  
Aragorn looked up at his friend, whose eyes sparkled like blue waters that reflected the light of the moon and whose hair looked as if it had been spun from the sun, and whose gentle way was so obvious, that even the smallest of creatures where willing to expose its most venereal place, just to play with the prince. This made Aragorn laugh, Legolas looked up and arched his eyebrows in curiosity.  
  
Strider walked over to his bedding still laughing. "Aye, my friend." he laughed "No proof at all"  
  
" 


End file.
